Apparatus for utilizing wells and the like as refrigerators.



. T. J. VANDERHEIDEN.

APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING WELLS AND THE LIKE AS REFRIGERATORS. APPLIGATIONFILED DEC. 2, 1911.

1,033,499. Patented July23, 1912.

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T. J. VANDERHEIDEN. APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING WELLS AND THE LIKE ASREFRIGERATORS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 2, 1911. I

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BIA PLANO JRAPH co WASHINGTON D THEODORE J. VANDERHEIDEN, OF HUMPHREY,NEBRASKA.

APPARATUS FOR UTILIZING WELLS AND THE LIKE AS REFRIGERATORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 23, 1912.

Application filed December 2, 1911. Serial No. 663,585.

To all w/wm 2'25 may concern:

Be it known that I, THEODORE J. VANDER- HEIDEN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Humphrey, in the county of Platte, State ofNebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatusfor Utilizing Wells and the Like as Refrigerators; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will on able others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to apparatus for utilizing wells and the like asrefrigerators.

The object of the invention resides in the provision of an apparatus ofthe character referred to which includes a food carrying member andmeans whereby said member may be elevated and lowered out of and into awell or other excavation, said memher when lowered into the well beingexposed to a temperature sufficiently low during all seasons of the yearto preserve the food carried thereby over relatively long periods.

A further object of the lnvention resides .in an improved form ofelevating. and

lowering mechanism for the food carrying member which includesparticularly a construction whereby the food carrying member may bestopped and held at any desired point in its up and down movement.

WVith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in thedetails of construction and in the arrangement and combination of partsto be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out inthe appended claim.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to theaccompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference denotecorresponding parts in the several views, and in which- Figure 1 is aView in elevation of the apparatus showing same applied to a well, thelatter being disclosed in section, Fig. 2, a view similar to Fig. 1showing the apparatus in vertical longitudinal section, Fig. 3, a planView of what is shown in Fig. l, and Fig. at, a detail perspective viewof-the mechanism for controlling the descent of the food carrier and forlocking the latter at any desired elevation with respect to the bottomof the well.

Referring to the drawings, 10 indicates a vertical guide rod the lowerend of which terminates in a laterally extended portion 11 seateduponthe bottom of the well, which latter is indicated at A. As will beapparent the guide rod 10 extends longitudinally of the well andprojects a con siderable distance above the upper end of the latter. Ifdesirable a suitable housing is constructed over the upper end of thewell A but in the illustration of the invention such housing is omittedto better disclose the apparatus. The upper end of the guide rod 10 hassecured thereto a horizontal frame 12, which frame when a housing isconstructed above the upper end of the well is adapted to be secured inany suitable manner to said housing. The upper end of the well A isadapted to be directly closed by means of oppositely opening trap doors13 hinged in a suitable frame 141 which latter is provided with anopening 15 for a purpose that will presently appear.

The food carrier is indicated at B and is shown as comprising anadjustably shelved receptacle the side walls of which are constructed ofa suitable foraminous material so that the cool air surrounding thecarrier may circulate freely therein against the food. The top andbottom of the food carrier are provided with alining openings 16 and 17respectively through which the guide rod 10 extends. The top and bot tomof the food carrier are reinforced by bearing'blocks 18 respectivelywhich surround the openings 16 and 17, and through which the guide rod10 slides.

Mounted upon each corner of the top of the food carrier respectively arevertically disposed fingers 19 which are adapted to engage the trapdoors 13 during the ascent of the carrier and move said doors to openposition. Depending from the frame 12 is a vertical arm 20 the lower endof which is secured to the guide rod 10 by means of a horizontal beam21, said beam being provided with spaced openings 22 and 23. Journaledin the frame 12 is a shaft 2 1 which has fixed thereon a pulley 25.Traveling over this pulley 25 is a hoist cable 26 one end of whichextends through the opening 22 in the beam 21 and is suitably secured tothe food carrier B. The other end of this cable extends through theopenings 23 and 15 and has secured thereto a counterbalancing weight 27to assist in elevating the food carrier. By the construction so fardescribed it will be apparent that when the hoist cable 26 is operatedto rotate the pulley 25 in one direction the elevation of the foodcarrier will be effected, while gravity will serve to lower the foodcarrier and of course operate the hoist cable in the opposite direction.

In order to control the descent of the food carrier and also to locksaid carrier at any desired elevation with respect to the bottom of thewell the following structure is resorted to. Pivotally mounted formovement in the openings 22 and 23 are dogs 28 and 29 respectively whichare adapted when moved in one direction to bind the cable 26 betweensame and the wall of the respective openings and thus lock said cableagainst movement under the influence of the weight of the food carrier.Formed integral with the dogs 28 and 29 are arms 30 and 81 respectivelywhich are mutually connected at their free ends by a link 32. This linkis connected at an intermediate point to one end of a spring 33 and theother end of this spring is anchored to the beam 21 in such manner thatthe spring con stantly tends to move the link 32 toward the guide rod 10and force the dogs 28 and 29 into binding relation to the cable 26.Secured to the free end of the arm 31 of the dog 29 is a pull cord 3%which travels on a pulley ournaled in the outer end of the beam 21, thefree end of said pull cord having secured thereto a suitable grippinghandle 36. Assuming that the food carrier has been elevated it will beapparent that the dogs 28 and 29 will be automatically operated so as tolock the hoist cable against movement and thus secure the food carrierin elevated position. Should it be desired to release the food carrierfor descent under the influence of gravity it is only necessary to pullthe cord 34L which will move the link 32- against the influence of thespring 33 and pivot the dogs 28 and 29 out of binding relation to thehoisting cable 26. Should it be desired to check the food carrier in itsdescent it is only necessary to release the link 32 to the influence ofthe spring 33 when the dogs 28 and 29 will be thrown automatically intobinding relation to the hoist cable and lock the latter against furthermovement.

hat is claimed is:

In a device of the class described, the combination of a guide rodsupported upon the bottom of the well and extending longitudinally ofthe latter, a food receptacle slidably mounted on said rod, a framesupported at the upper end of the rod, a beam extending parallel to theframe one end of which is supported from said frame and the other endsecured to the guide rod, said beam having a pair of spaced openingstherein, a pulley ournaled on said frame, a cable traveling on saidpulley, and extending through the openings in said beam re spectively,said cable having one end secured to the food carrier, acounter-balancing weight secured to the other end of said cable, dogspivotally mounted in the openings in said beam respectively adapted toclamp said cable against movement when disposed in one position, meansconstantly tending to force said dogs to clamping position, and meansfor moving said dogs simultaneously from clamping position.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

THEODORE, J. VANDERHEIDEN.

Vitnesses F. WV. Honour, A. H. BREUNIG.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

